Govt to launch task force to deal with lecturers’ strike

April 26, 2018 10:36 am

Education Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohammed, whom lecturers have accused of not playing ball, will launch the task force at Jogoo House Thursday morning/FILE

By SIMON NDONGA, NAIROBI, Kenya, Apr 26 – The government is set to launch an inter-ministerial Task Force to discuss the stand-off that has led to a biting strike by lecturers in public universities.

Education Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohammed, whom lecturers have accused of not playing ball, will launch the task force at Jogoo House Thursday morning.

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The bone of contention between lecturers and the government is a Collective Bargaining Agreement signed with the Universities Academic Staff Union.

The striking lecturers have defied court orders to resume work and protested the handling of their mass action, which is nearly two months old.

The dons have also accused their employer, the Inter Public Universities Councils Consultative Forum, of lacking goodwill to table a counter offer in the CBA negotiations.

Lecturers have vowed not to return to work until their demands are met even after the Employment and Labour Relations court ordered them to resume duty on Monday.

The Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU) said they appealed the decision the court ruling that declared their strike illegal on Friday and therefore, the strike continues pending the decision of the appeals court.

The union Secretary-General Constantine Wasonga told the lectures to disregard all memos or directives emanating from universities